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H. n. VAN 'DEVENT ER.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- APPLICATION FILED APR-7.1919- Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

SHEETS-SHEETI H R. VAN DEVENTEB. IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-7.19M)- 1,410,428. Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

H. R. VAN DEVENTER.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-7,1919.

1,410,428. i Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

HARRY RANDOLPH VAN DEVENTER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPLITIDO'RF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21,1922.

Application filed April 7, 1919. Serial No. 288,101.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY RANDOLPH VAN Dnvnnrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignit'ion Devices for Internal-Combustion Ention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in an ignition device for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a high tension or jump spark ignition device, wherein the current is generated by a magneto generator.

In my prior Patent No. 1,257,155, grant-' ed February 19, 1918, I have shown and described an ignition device of the above character, wherein the current generating memher is oscillated by springs'put under tension and the spark is produced by electrodes having fixed relation to each other. These parts are all mounted upon a unitary bracket structure.

The present invention relates to improvements in the ignition device of my former patent, and has for an object to provide an arrangement of the spark plugs, whereby the points are disposed at an incline to the vertical, so that any oil that may collect thereon will readily run off from the same,

thus preventing the electrodes from becoming ."t'ouled in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ignition device of the above character, wherein the bracket which supports the magneto generator forms one of the electrodes of the spark plug.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a spark plug for an ignition device of the above character, wherein one of the electrodes is adjustable so that the distance between thespark electrodes may be readily varied.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the timing of the release of the trip lever by the push rod may be readily varied.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings-- Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing an ignition system embodying my improvements; 7

Figure 2 is a view partly in front eleva tion and partly in section of the same; gines, of which the following is a descriping a slightly modified form of the electrode construction for the ignition device-and also a. modified form of holding means for supporting the bracket on the engine cylinder;

Figure 5Iis a front view of a portion of the bracket, showing the holding means;

Figure 6 is a vertical section showing a further modification of the arrangement of the sparking electrodes.

The invention consists broadly of a magneto generator, wherein the current generating member is oscillated by springs put under tension by a push rod which in turn is operated by the engine, said push rod being tripped from connection with the trip lever, so as to permit the springs to actuate the current generating member at the proper time interval. Associated with the magneto generator are fixed. electrodes, and the current jumps from one electrode to the other formwhich is preferably made of sheet metal stamped and bent to the propershape. The

bracket is so constructed at the part where the electrodes are supported that said electrodes will be held in an inclined position relative to the vertical, so that any oil collecting thereon will readily run ofi from the electrodes and thus prevent saidspark plug from becomingfouled in use.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bracket itself forms one of the electrodes and serves the double function of forming an electrode and supporting the magneto generator. In another form of the inn vention, one o f the electrodes is mounted in the bracket, so that it may be readily adjusted. The trip lever for actuating the current generating member of the magneto generator is disengaged from the push rod by means of a cam which is adjustable so as to vary the time of tripping said lever.

The inventlon will be more clearly understood by abrief reference to the drawings,

in which I have shown my ignition device as consisting of a magneto generator G, which may be of the construction shown in my prior patent, above referred to. current generating member is provided with a shaft 1, which is actuated by springs 22 which may be connected to the end plate of the generator. The springs are connected to a trip lever 3, which is fixed to the shaft 'of the current generating member. T/he openinglO in the cylinder wall. A spark plug 1.1, which may be of the ordinary c011 struction, is threaded into a suitable opening 12 formed in said bracket, and it will be noted that the electrodes of the spark-plug are arranged in an inclined direction relative to the vertical,so that any oil collecting on theseelectrodes willreadily run off from the same and prevent the spark becoming fouled in use. f

The trip lever is moved to cocked position and released by a push rod 13. This push rod 13 is pivoted at 14: to the valve rod 15 of the engine and the valve rod 15 slides in a housing 16 formed in the supporting plate 5- of the bracket. A spring 1? normally forces-the push rod 13 in an upward direction and holds the same in position, so that the end 18 of the push rod will engage a shoulder 19 on the trip lever 3. Said push rod is formed with a cam surface 20, which is adapted to make contact with an adjustable cam 21, carriedby a lever 22, which is pivoted at-23 to the bracket; The edge o f the plug from bracket is bent forwardly and formed with" a series of teeth 24, which are adapted to j be engaged by the lever 22, so that the cam 21 may be held in various adjusted-positions, As the push rod moves forward, the end 12; thereof will engage the shoulder 19 and move the trip lever to cooked positiomthe cam surface 20 coming into contact with the cam 21 will force the push rod in a down ward direction and finally release the end thereof fromthe trip'lever and this permits the springs 2 to quickly oscillate the armature or current generating member of the magneto generator. By adjusting the lever 22, the position of the cam 21 may be varied The The

and this aswill readily be seen, will vary the time of release of the trip lever.

The projecting portion -9 carrying-the spark plug is also formed with an opening 25, in which a chargingcup 26 may be placed, so thatgasoline may be placed therein and a charge of gasolinethus introduced in the engine cylinder in and about the electrodes of the spark plug, engine for starting.

In Figures 4: and 5 of the drawings, 1 have shown a slightly modified form of means for supporting the bracket. In'this formof the invention, the brackct'is prothus pr ming the vided with an outwardly projecting part 27,

of the electrodes, indicated at 31, ismounted in suitable insulating material which is of the usual form in spark plug construe tion. (lo-operating with this electrode 2} 1. is a second electrode 33, which is threaded into the bracket and is-forined with a knurled head 34: with which a s aring makes contacta Byturning this knurled head-the electrode 83 maybe moved into or outset the bracketand thus the distance betweemtheend 'of this electrode 30 and the side face of the electrode 3lvaried. It will be noted that the electrode 33is connected directly to the bracket and therefore one of the electrodes of the spark plug is connected to the generator through the bracket which supports the generator, while the other, of .course,is insulated and connected by suitable wireto the generator, as indicated at 36 in Figure 1 of the drawings.

It will also benoted that the electrodes 31 and are inclined toth'e vertical, so that any 011 collecting thereon will quickly run off fromtheelectrodes,'as has been describedin connection 1 with the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

In Figureb of the drawings, I have shown. a further modified form of the invention. The electrode 31 is similar in construction to that shownin Figure at, but the co-operating" electrode is in the form of arms 37 and 38 which are integral with the bracket supportingthe generator. These arms are spaced from the electrode 31. v

From the above description, it will be noted that I have provided an" ignition device, whereinthe spark is a jumpspark and is produced by a magneto generator mounted on the bracket which supports the spark plug. The means for actuating the magneto generator includes devices whereby the timing of the spark may be quickly varied. The spark plug is so arranged that the elec trodes are inclined and any oil collecting thereon will quickly run off from the electrodes, thus preventing the spark plugs or electrodes from becoming fouled in use. Other advantages will be apparent from the detailed description which has been given above.

It is obvious that'ininor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

l'laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An ignition device including in combination, a magneto generator, a bracket supporting said generator, said bracket having means for supporting a spark plug with the electrodes thereof inclined to the vertical.

2. An ignition deviceincluding in combination, a magneto generator, a bracket for supporting said generator, said bracket being bent so as to form a pocket adapted to register with an opening in the wall of the ends of the cylinder, one wall of said pocket having an opening in which a spark plug is mounted, said wall being inclined so that the electrodes of the spark plug will be inclined to the vertical.

3. An ignition device including in combination, a magneto generator, a bracket "for supporting said generator, said bracket being bent so as to form a pocket adapted to register with an openingin the wall of the ends oi. the cylinder, one wall of said pocket having an opening in which a spark plug is mounted, said wall being inclined so that the electrodes of the spark plug will be inclined to the vertical, said wall of the pocket supporting the electrodes having a charging top extending therethrough for priming the engine cylinder.

4. An ignition device including a sheet metal bracket having a vertical supporting plate and a horizontal shelf, a magneto generator mounted on said horizontal shelf, said vertical supporting plate having a pocket formed therein adapted to register with an opening in the cylinder wall, said pocket having means for supporting fixed electrodes, one of which is insulated and connected to the magneto generator and the other of which is connected through the bracket to the magneto generator.

5. An ignition device including a sheet metal bracket having a vertical supporting plate and a horizontal shelf, a magneto generator mounted on said horizontal shelf, said vertical supporting plate having a pocket formed therein adapted to register with an opening in the cylinder wall, said pocket having means for supporting fixed electrodes, one of which is insulated and connected to the magneto generator and the other of which is connected through "the bracket to the magneto generator, said supporting means for the electrodes being disposed so that said electrodes are inclined to the vertical.

6. An ignition device including in combination, spark electrodes, a magneto generator, a bracket supporting said spark electrodes and said magneto generator, a bracket connected to the engine cylinder and overhanging the magneto supporting bracket and a bolt threaded into said last named bracket and adapted to bear against the magneto supporting bracket for holding the same against the ends of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY RANDOLPH VAN 'DEVENTER. 

